Amid her worsening health condition, Khaleda Zia’s son Tarique Rahman is preparing to come back home soon, a senior BNP leader told PTI. Rahman has been living in self-exile in London for over a decade. BNP Standing Committee member Salahuddin Ahmed told reporters late Monday that the party’s acting chairman Rahman “will return to Bangladesh soon”.
According to senior leaders, Rahman, who has lived in London since 2008, is waiting for the issuance of a new Bangladeshi passport as he does not want to use a one time travel pass offered by the interim government.
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China medical team in Dhaka for Khaleda Zia
Khaleda Zia remains in a critical condition and has been placed on ventilation. Amid her health concerns, a five-member foreign medical team, mostly Chinese members, reached the Evercare Hospital to assist in the treatment of BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia. The BNP chairperson’s medical board requested additional expert opinions in light of her current health condition, sources told The Daily Star.
As the specialist medical team from China joined efforts to treat the ailing politician, security was tightened in Dhaka. Police erected a barricade at the main gate of Evercare Hospital around 2 am, with hospital sources saying more than two dozen personnel have been deployed to regulate patients’ movement and reinforce Zia’s security, The Daily Star newspaper reported.
According to a report in The Telegraph, four members of the Special Security Force conducted a late-night inspection at the hospital, examining several sections of the building for nearly three hours. On Monday, the interim government designated Zia as a “very, very important person,” authorising SSF deployment for her security.
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PM Modi promises help for Khaleda Zia
Prime Minister Narendra Modi reached out to Bangladesh and promised “all possible support” to help in the recovery of the ailing former Bangladesh Prime Minister. PM Modi on Monday voiced deep concern over the health of former Bangladesh prime minister Begum Khaleda Zia and offered all possible support.
“Deeply concerned to learn about the health of Begum Khaleda Zia, who has contributed to Bangladesh’s public life for many years,” Modi said in a post on X.
“Our sincere prayers and best wishes for her speedy recovery,” the prime minister said. “India stands ready to extend all possible support, in whatever way we can,” he added.
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PM Modi’s gesture carries weight given Zia’s historically strained relationship with India, a stark contrast to her rival Sheikh Hasina’s warmer and more cooperative ties with New Delhi. Zia’s party, the BNP, has previously accused the Indian government of undermining Bangladesh’s democracy by supporting an “authoritarian” Hasina, who was ousted last year and fled to India.
(With agency inputs)